Page 1 of 1 Italian gentleman racer Luigi Taverna was in need of a new racing car after the Group C2 Alba he had raced in 1986 and 1987 was lost in a garage fire at the end of 1987. Instead of switching to a run-of-the-mill Spice or Tiga, Taverna opted to have his own Group C2 car built. He commissioned Gianni Lombartolo to design the car and have it constructed by the Olmas Aluminium Company in Turin, Italy.
Like the Alba, and unlike the more common British cars, Taverna's new Olmas GLT 200 was built around a sophisticated carbon-fibre and Kevlar composite monocoque. Bolted directly to the tub was a Judd prepared Cosworth DFV engine and Hewland DGB gearbox that served as fully stressed members. Suspension was through double wishbones on all four corners. The ground-effect bodywork was also constructed from carbon-fibre composite with a Kevlar weave.
Taverna's new Olmas GLT 200 debuted at the 1988 Monza 1000 km. Fuel pressure and electric issues prevented the car from starting the race. A month later, at the Silverstone 1000 km, the GLT 200 did start the race and finished 16th overall and 9th in class after starting 25th on the grid. The unique Olmas was then fielded at Le Mans for Fabio Magnani, Roberto Ragazzi and Taverna himself. Sadly, further engine issues meant that the car again could not start the race.
This turned out to be the end of the line for the Olmas as Taverna opted to buy rides in a Porsche and Tiga for the remainder of the season, and then switched to a Spice for the 1989 season. It is a shame that the Olmas GLT 200 was never given the chance to live up to the potential it certainly looked to have. It was later modified and campaigned as a hill-climb car with the roof removed. In more recent years, it has been restored to its original Group C2 configuration. Page 1 of 1
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Italian gentleman racer Luigi Taverna was in need of a new racing car after the Group C2 Alba he had raced in 1986 and 1987 was lost in a garage fire at the end of 1987. Instead of switching to a run-of-the-mill Spice or Tiga, Taverna opted to have his own Group C2 car built. He commissioned Gianni Lombartolo to design the car and have it constructed by the Olmas Aluminium Company in Turin, Italy.